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In this podcast, Debra Kasowski talks about some of the things leaders need to let go of to empower other such as micromanagement, reluctance to delegate, and owning their own expertise over others, To empower others, you need to release the reins, delegate to elevate, and check your ego at the door. Debra wants to empower leader by leveraging the brilliance of the people around them to achieve their desired outcomes – together.
Start Your Leadership Journey Now with Debra Kasowski In this video, Debra Kasowski starts off with a profound quote by basketball star, LeBron James quote, “Leadership is not a sometimes thing it’s an everyday thing.” Leadership is about being a role model and providing mentorship, being flexible and adaptable, taking control of your own growth while fostering the development of others, and working toward a common goal. The right time to begin your leadership journey is NOW.
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In the podcast/video, Debra explores the dynamic intersection of leadership, influence, and collaboration. In today’s episode, we delve into a concept that often goes unnoticed – the two-way street of influence in leadership.
Many discussions on leadership highlight the leader’s role in guiding and inspiring their team. However, what if we told you that influence is not a one-way journey but a reciprocal relationship? Join us as we explore the idea that effective leadership involves leading from the front and being receptive to the influence of those you lead.
Finger-pointing and the “blame game” are not attributes of an individual who is accountable. They fail to remember that as their finger is pointing outward there are three fingers pointing back at them. The waving finger is often loaded with excuses or reasons why something didn’t work. It is time to disarm the excuses and reasons and to help individuals step into their accountability.
According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, accountability is “the quality or state of being accountable. especially an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions.” You may find people use the words accountability and responsibility interchangeably. There is a difference: responsibility is task-oriented whereas accountability has more to do with answerability for one’s behavior or actions. For example, when individuals on a team are each given a task toward a project, each person is responsible for their task of contribution. Now at the deadline of a project, everyone is accountable for the task they were assigned to. They must answer whether they have completed their task.
There are also times when individuals misunderstand that they’re being held accountable versus being micromanaged. Accountability revolves around meeting expectations whereas micromanagement tends to be a hovering over or meddling in one’s role by taking over tasks. It is important to ensure that your team understands what accountability is and what taking ownership of their own behaviors and actions means. The best way to do this is to involve individuals or your team in creating a plan of accountability.
The late Stephen Covey said, “Accountability breeds response-ability.” You can respond to a situation instead of reacting to it. It starts with acknowledging what is and then owning or taking responsibility for the same. When someone takes responsibility for a situation, they have the ability course correct or come up with a solution.
“Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to the result.”
Bob Proctor
Get the Perspective of Others To make accountability right, you need to let go of the need to be right. The need to be right can prevent you from getting clarity about the situation. Each person looks at a situation from their own vantage point. This is why several individuals witnessing a car accident will all have a different narrative of what happened. Some people will zoom into a situation and see all the details whereas others will zoom out to see the bigger picture. All perspectives have value. By being curious and taking the time to listen to the perspective of others, you can establish a better understanding of the situation at hand. The other perspectives create a visual – setting the stage and helping you understand what is happening in the situation. When you take time to gather this information from others, you also demonstrate that you value and appreciate their insight.
Ask for Feedback from Others It can take courage for you to ask for the feedback that you need. Many people believe feedback is something that they receive when they need to correct a behavior or action because something went wrong. Asking for feedback from others can be a game changer in bringing a different perspective to how you do your work or how you are showing up. Is it aligned with who you want to be and how you want to show up? You receive feedback from the world around us all the time through our results, experiences, and how we feel about how situations went. It is important the test our reality and perceptions and to challenge our assumptions. Receiving feedback that is constructive is valuable in building your character and demonstrating that you are open to continuous growth.
Collaboration over Competition Success is not a one-man or woman show. When you collaborate with others you can often come up with more creative and innovative solutions. Sometimes people are afraid to collaborate because they’re focused on competing with one another versus leveraging the opportunity to pull the right skill sets and minds into the right space at the right time. Brainstorming and creative solution finding comes from tapping into the rich resource of the knowledgeable people around you.
When you engage others and create accountability, individuals get invested in seeing the results. People like to contribute by offering ideas and solutions and knowing that they’re contributing that makes a difference. Let’s get accountable and get it right! Fingers down!
Leaders show up in all different forms. They are influenced by people, places, and positions. Their education and experiences have taught them how to show up as a leader.
Several years ago, I had an opportunity to provide feedback to a senior leader. I noticed that they didn’t take an opportunity to walk amongst their people. One day, I said, “You would be seen as a great leader if you took time to walk amongst your people.” The senior leader listened and thanked me for the feedback.
In a morning meeting, about eight months later, the senior leader proclaimed, “I’m going to do something that I find very scary. I’m going to walk amongst my people.” I was taken back as I had made a judgment that all leaders should find it natural to walk amongst their people. I had seen other senior leaders walk through the workplace with ease. I recognized that it took courage for this leader to take this action.
At the end of the day, I messaged the senior leader to commend them for acting and to find out the outcome. The senior leader expressed that they were pleasantly surprised. They did not expect that the people around them would be interested in who they were. They asked questions and had great conversations. It got me thinking about how our beliefs about leadership and how we show up influences how we lead. I was very proud of this leader for taking action.
“Walking amongst your people” was a lesson I learned very early in my career, I remember a situation in which I was unwell and coughing sitting at my office desk when a senior leader had come up to me addressed me by name, and said, “Debra, I really think you need to go home and get some rest.” I was taken back as I didn’t even know that this leader knew who I was. It wasn’t until I interviewed for a middle management position when I mentioned to this leader that I was surprised by her addressing me by name. This leader explained to me the importance of walking amongst your people. They emphasized the importance of taking time to get to know each person by name and something about them whenever possible. I took this to heart and used this as the focus to guide my leadership and those leaders that I have helped develop.
You never know the impact that you make until you do.
One day I was coming into the office and the security guard pulled me aside and handed me a handwritten note inviting me to come to his wedding on the weekend. I was pleasantly surprised. To him, I took interest in who he was as a person. Every day I make an intention to address people by their name, develop connections, and take an interest in who they are. I believe that great leaders “walk their talk” and have alignment in words and actions. I am often reminded then another person’s actions are based on their beliefs, fears, and experiences. Not all leaders lead the same.
We build trust and loyalty when we connect with the people we lead, the leaders of tomorrow. Great leaders do not wait to connect until performance management is required. The “walk” opens the door to communication, builds trust and credibility, and demonstrates commitment.
What I do know for sure is when we support each other in our growth, we lead by example, and we develop great leaders. Do not doubt that with the simple act of walking amongst your fellow leaders you are not making an impact. Your presence alone speaks volumes and creates connection. There is nothing more satisfying than watching the leaders around you grow and step into their potential to make an impact
Have the courage to take the first step.
Debra Kasowski, the charismatic host of the thought-provoking podcast, The Millionaire Woman Show, is committed to enriching the leadership potential of her countless clients, essentially guiding them to go within to capitalize on their true personal power, so they can achieve the measurable success they desire in business, and in life.
After graduating with distinction, having earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, this award-winning, three-time bestselling author, 2x TEDx speaker, past contributor to Forbes Coaches Council, and Certified Executive Coach spent many years as a clinical manager excelling in leadership development, before founding Debra Kasowski International, world-class training and consulting venture focused on helping
aspiring business owners and solopreneurs develop the winning “success habits” that transform human potential into sustainable profits.
Clearly, if you’re motivated to move beyond the mediocre, and inspired to forge on to the forefront with a proven plan of action, there’s no doubt that the indomitable Debra Kasowski is your solution.